A large contingent of arts people came together at the KwaMuhle Museum last month to be introduced to the eThekwini Draft Policy on Arts, Culture and Heritage. The only other city in South Africa with such a policy since 1997 is Cape Town. The workshop was addressed by Zayd Minty, director of the Cape Town based organisation “One” who spoke to the Cape Town policy document which he helped to formulate. Zayd discussed the advantages and disadvantages of putting such a complex policy together and debated some guidelines. Praise should go to Rooksana Omar who devised and presented the policy and organised the workshop.

While it is widely acknowledged that Durban enjoys a diversity and multitude of talents and skills in the areas of arts, culture and heritage, there is an absence of a coherent, global strategy that spells out how to maximise and exploit all this potential in a manner that will develop strong and sustainable cultural identity and industry within the city. The aim of the policy is to have a document that will give guidelines for the next 20 years.

The document sketches the city’s ultimate vision for the future, which is perhaps somewhat optimistic but one has to start somewhere. Here is a direct quote from the document also agreed at the Alpine Heath Workshop held in May 2001:

The document states that, “By 2020 eThekwini Municipality will enjoy the reputation of being Africa’s most caring and liveable city, where all citizens live in harmony. This vision will be achieved by growing its economy and meeting people’s needs so that all citizens enjoy a high quality of life with equal opportunities, in a city that they are proud of.”

The workshop was held to make cultural organisations aware of the formulation of such a policy and, at the same time, create an opportunity for cultural organisations to get involved and enable them to give direct input into the draft policy document.

As a result a time frame was set up and all arts and culture organisations are asked to give their input before September 1.

The workshop was facilitated by the director of the Centre for Creative arts at the University of Natal. Peter Rorvik. The draft policy document is available from Lynne Crouch on 031 311 2223 or e-mail Lynnec@crsu.durban.gov.za.